Came here for lunch with my high school friends had a great time. Food was excellent.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
bob talerico
Food and service were excellent. Dinner portion was huge. Will return.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Manuel
Great experience, Joe was amazing. Great hospitality and food. Nice portions will be back.
Kurt
Always a great experience dining at Buona Sera. The food and service are top notch. I highly recommend.
Paul
Our waiter was terrific. The tortalini and pizza were delicious. Service was quick which was great as we had to make showtime.
mark fusco
long time fan it simply doesnt get any better!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
lynn kltchell
The atmosphere at this restaurant is truly beautiful, and our waiter provided excellent service throughout the evening. Unfortunately, the food did not match the experience or the price point. We spent approximately $150 per person, and three steaks had to be sent back for being incorrectly cooked. One of them was a tomahawk steak that arrived rare when it was ordered medium. Another steak had to be sent back twice and ultimately came back burnt. Given the cost and reputation of the restaurant, this was very disappointing. What made the situation worse was the lack of acknowledgment from management. The manager did not offer any compensation or gesture—no dessert, no coffee. This restaurant has great potential because of its ambiance and service staff, but for the price, the food execution and management response fell well below expectations.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Nom Nom Kemp
I went to Buona Sera for dinner with a small group last weekend after hearing a lot of hype and seeing many strong reviews online. Unfortunately, I left feeling a bit underwhelmed. Maybe my expectations were too high, given how often it’s described as one of the best dinner spots in Red Bank.
Right off the bat, the layout and seating process were confusing. We walked in past the bar and never saw a clear host stand. After some waiting, I asked a waiter in the dining room who told me to look for “a bald guy” near the bar—presumably the host, but that wasn’t obvious at all. I had a reservation for three, yet the table was set for four. The extra plating was awkwardly removed by our waiter, reaching over one of us in an already cramped and loud dining room. Minor issues overall, but worth noting.
Now to the food, which carries the most weight for me. We started with a tomato basil pizza as an appetizer. It was very crunchy and had an okay flavor profile, but nothing memorable (4.8/10). We also tried the crab mac and cheese—very cheesy and enjoyable yet somehow lighter than expected. The only downside was less crab than anticipated (7.7/10).
For entrées, one of us ordered the fresh clam pasta in white sauce. It was good, and the fresh pasta stood out, but otherwise it didn’t distinguish itself from similar dishes elsewhere. The Bolognese had solid flavor and a nice mix of sautéed vegetables, though it was a bit watery. The pork osso busso was extremely tender and fell right off the bone, while the risotto was the highlight of the dish—again flavorful, but also quite watery. Overall, the entrées were good but not great (around a 7.3/10).
We finished with dessert: the death by chocolate cake, which was overly rich due to an overpowering buttercream (5.5/10), and a classic cheesecake that was light, airy, and very good 8.0/10. To be fair, desserts aren’t made in-house and are sourced from Nasto’s, so I won’t judge the restaurant too harshly on that front.
All in all, Buona Sera delivered a decent dining experience, but it didn’t live up to the hype. In a town like Red Bank, I think there are better options, and I wouldn’t go out of my way to return.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 3
Rita Haney
We had John and he was an excellent waiter his personality and courteous way he took care of us Kudos to John. From the 5 ladies who had reservation at 1 on Saturday. Love
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Judy
So many selections for everyone. Service was exceptional. My whole family was happy with everything we ordered.
It was decorated nicely for the holidays but don't try to hold a conversation there it's extremely noisy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Tom Calandra
Was great Chris our waiter was the best food was great very busy and crowded we had a table for 4 by the bar was ok till it got really crowed over all great will be back
Brian
Ambience, gourmet, professional. Buona Sera as above five stars in every way. The staff is professional polite, and well first with all the manual choices. The size of the meal that you receive is unbelievable. We recommend Buona Sera to all.
Dr . M .
Went for first time. It was beautifully decorated for the holidays. However, as soon as we walked in i knew the food would be ok at best. Not authentic Italian. Glorified pizza place food was basically what it was. Server was very nice, just very unsure. Possibly new. Once and a while you'd get a whiff of the cigar bar next door. Not pleasant. There are so many great restaurants around, I wouldn't repeat going back to this one.
Chaz
Another great business lunch with outstanding food and service. Coming back with a group for dinner next week to start the Holiday season off. Restaurant was decorated and looks amazing for the Christmas season. Never disappoints!
Came here for lunch with my high school friends had a great time. Food was excellent.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food and service were excellent. Dinner portion was huge. Will return.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great experience, Joe was amazing. Great hospitality and food. Nice portions will be back.
Always a great experience dining at Buona Sera. The food and service are top notch. I highly recommend.
Our waiter was terrific. The tortalini and pizza were delicious. Service was quick which was great as we had to make showtime.
long time fan it simply doesnt get any better!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The atmosphere at this restaurant is truly beautiful, and our waiter provided excellent service throughout the evening. Unfortunately, the food did not match the experience or the price point.
We spent approximately $150 per person, and three steaks had to be sent back for being incorrectly cooked. One of them was a tomahawk steak that arrived rare when it was ordered medium. Another steak had to be sent back twice and ultimately came back burnt. Given the cost and reputation of the restaurant, this was very disappointing.
What made the situation worse was the lack of acknowledgment from management. The manager did not offer any compensation or gesture—no dessert, no coffee.
This restaurant has great potential because of its ambiance and service staff, but for the price, the food execution and management response fell well below expectations.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
I went to Buona Sera for dinner with a small group last weekend after hearing a lot of hype and seeing many strong reviews online. Unfortunately, I left feeling a bit underwhelmed. Maybe my expectations were too high, given how often it’s described as one of the best dinner spots in Red Bank.
Right off the bat, the layout and seating process were confusing. We walked in past the bar and never saw a clear host stand. After some waiting, I asked a waiter in the dining room who told me to look for “a bald guy” near the bar—presumably the host, but that wasn’t obvious at all. I had a reservation for three, yet the table was set for four. The extra plating was awkwardly removed by our waiter, reaching over one of us in an already cramped and loud dining room. Minor issues overall, but worth noting.
Now to the food, which carries the most weight for me. We started with a tomato basil pizza as an appetizer. It was very crunchy and had an okay flavor profile, but nothing memorable (4.8/10). We also tried the crab mac and cheese—very cheesy and enjoyable yet somehow lighter than expected. The only downside was less crab than anticipated (7.7/10).
For entrées, one of us ordered the fresh clam pasta in white sauce. It was good, and the fresh pasta stood out, but otherwise it didn’t distinguish itself from similar dishes elsewhere. The Bolognese had solid flavor and a nice mix of sautéed vegetables, though it was a bit watery. The pork osso busso was extremely tender and fell right off the bone, while the risotto was the highlight of the dish—again flavorful, but also quite watery. Overall, the entrées were good but not great (around a 7.3/10).
We finished with dessert: the death by chocolate cake, which was overly rich due to an overpowering buttercream (5.5/10), and a classic cheesecake that was light, airy, and very good 8.0/10. To be fair, desserts aren’t made in-house and are sourced from Nasto’s, so I won’t judge the restaurant too harshly on that front.
All in all, Buona Sera delivered a decent dining experience, but it didn’t live up to the hype. In a town like Red Bank, I think there are better options, and I wouldn’t go out of my way to return.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 3
We had John and he was an excellent waiter his personality and courteous way he took care of us Kudos to John. From the 5 ladies who had reservation at 1 on Saturday. Love
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
So many selections for everyone. Service was exceptional. My whole family was happy with everything we ordered.
Restaurantji Recommends
It was decorated nicely for the holidays but don't try to hold a conversation there it's extremely noisy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Was great Chris our waiter was the best food was great very busy and crowded we had a table for 4 by the bar was ok till it got really crowed over all great will be back
Ambience, gourmet, professional. Buona Sera as above five stars in every way. The staff is professional polite, and well first with all the manual choices. The size of the meal that you receive is unbelievable. We recommend Buona Sera to all.
Went for first time. It was beautifully decorated for the holidays. However, as soon as we walked in i knew the food would be ok at best. Not authentic Italian. Glorified pizza place food was basically what it was. Server was very nice, just very unsure. Possibly new. Once and a while you'd get a whiff of the cigar bar next door. Not pleasant. There are so many great restaurants around, I wouldn't repeat going back to this one.
Another great business lunch with outstanding food and service. Coming back with a group for dinner next week to start the Holiday season off. Restaurant was decorated and looks amazing for the Christmas season. Never disappoints!
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